SANTA CRUZ, Jamaica, CMC – Mrinal Wadwha’s calm head made all the difference as Leeward Islands squeezed past Windward Islands by a single wicket with three balls to spare in their Regional Under-19 Championship contest here yesterday.
Entering a tense encounter at 111 for seven in the 38th over with a further 32 required for victory, Wadwha kept his nerves and batted nearly three-quarters of an hour for his unbeaten 11, to see the Leewards to their target of 142 in the final over.
Playing in the fourth round match at St Elizabeth Technical High School, he put on a crucial 21 for the eighth wicket with Saeed Williams who struck 30 before becoming the first of two wickets to fall to off-spinner Johnel Eugene.
No such drama was envisioned when the Leewards cruised to 111 for four on the back of opener Tyrone Williams’s top score of 43 off 68 balls.
He struck four fours and two sixes to give his side momentum as wickets fell around him.
The Leewards lost him at 72 for four but a fifth wicket stand of 39 between Saeed Williams and Jaeel Clarke (16) seemed to put them firmly in command.
However, once they were separated, five wickets tumbled for 28 runs in quick time to set up a nervous finish to the game.
